One Step At A Time
by Laila The Lost Princess
Summary: Japan is spilit by wars and poverty. In this time one woman may very well change the course of history as we know it. KaneOCMasa, YukiKuno, MusaOC, KeiOku, MitsuOC


Sunstrike: I've had this idea for awhile now. My favorite Samurai Warriors character is Kanetsugu. Since no one else that I know of likes him, I am writing a KanetsuguOCMasamune, MitsunariOC (for my sister, sorry GinchiyoMitsunari fans), MusashiOC, GinchiyoMuneshige, and other cannon pairings. I hope you like it! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Painful, red hot flames licked at child's tender skin creating burns on the back. She took in a deep, jagged breath her lungs filling with the smoke. Blindly feeling the way around the foreign vicinity. She leaped back in dismay, as a part of ceiling plummeted narrowly missing the young girl. She ran around the wood and recommenced her scan for a way to evacuate the incinerating house.

Dark, plumes of smoke filled her vision, before she lapsed in depression with her roasting to her fatality. When a silhouette seized her into his arms, carrying her to sanctuary an autonomy from the blazing fire the scarcely confiscated her young existence....

She awoke to detect the dressings around her abdomen and chest where the flames scarred her and would remain for a interminably span in her life.

_How much time has progressed since the fire? Who transported me here, in this remote palace?_

Radiance and grandeur beyond expectation, lengthened before her eyes. Warbling birds could be hearkened from afar and she could inhale the essences from exotic and ethereal flowers.

Curiosity got the better of her, however with the pain she lingered in the bed, and adjourned from traveling around the room. Her protector, a man old enough to be her father, infiltrated the bedroom she had rejuvenated in.

"You've been in slumber for a full five months. What is your name, child?" he inquired, settling at the edge of her bed and cradling her in his arms.

"A-Amay- It's Amaya, sir. I don't recall my surname." she vocalized, her voice raspy from breathing in all the fumes.

"Amaya-chan, I would like to adopt you as my daughter," he hesitated, combing his hand gently though her hair, "If you don't have any family, that is."

Her eyes misted over and she veiled them, by her hair, "No, I don't possess a family. At least not anymore," Amaya's face illuminated as a smile composed on her face, "Yes. I would love a family that relished me, um..."

"Kenshin Usegi, is name I was given," Kenshin faintly positioned her on the bed. "I will go obtain the scrolls to sign. Did you want to come with me, Amaya-chan?"

Amaya signaled yes with her head and vaulted onto the solid surface of the floor. She glowed up at Kenshin and he beamed back, "We should get you new a wardrobe, as well. I'll have Lady Sumi help you with that, is that alright?"

"I would love that, Kenshin-san. Who is Lady Sumi?" Amaya asked, Kenshin clasping his hand with her meager one.

"Lady Sumi... She is my wife," he faltered for a few seconds, "Amaya-chan, you can call me Tousan, you know that correct?"

"Yes, I know. I-I just...I want to make it formal first. Can I go play with the other children afterward?" she beseeched, watching the other kids play.

"Of course. Lady Sumi and I will have to acquire your wardrobes later. We will do it then." _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Yay!" Amaya exclaimed, skipping out of the city manor. "I have a Kaasan and Tousan now!" Kenshin and Sumi, was expecting them to come and met them there, smiled at their new daughter.

Amaya twirled around and collided with another child, as her parents were talking to other adults. She landed on her bottom, observing who she crashed into.

The boy had light brown hair that extended past his ears, slightly. And golden eyes that held persistent devotion and compassion. He almost equaled in the equivalent age as her.

She flushed pure scarlet as he extended his hand to her, "My apologies for knocking you to the ground. Who are you, if I may ask?" the boy helped her stand.

"Amaya Usegi. What is your name?"

"It's-"

"Hey! Kane-kun, come play!" a brunette girl called, running up to him. She had light green eyes that held a devilish glow, "Who is that, Kane-kun?"

"Amaya Usegi," he confronted Amaya, "I'm Kanetsugu Naoe. This is Yuriko Takeda."

"You can call him Kane and call me Yuri. So can I call you Maya-chan?" Yuriko requested, shaking her hand.

"Um...Sure, I figure that will be fine." Amaya replied, smiling back at her.

"Kane-kun! Yuri-chan!" Kanetsugu rotated to meet who proclaimed his name and Yuriko did the same. Storming in their route was a brunette boy.

A brunette girl appeared between Kanetsugu and Amaya, startling her.

"No fair! You cheated!" the newcomer boy roared, gasping for his breath and slumping forward, "I'm Yukimura Sanada. The cheater is Kunoichi Takeda."

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Naaa...We never said that those where the rules, Yuki-kun. Right Yuri-chan?"

"Whatever. And your name is?" Yukimura implored, reaching out his hand.

"This is Amaya Usegi. She compromised that we can call her Maya-chan," Yuriko satisfied Yukimura's question.

"You two are sisters? How old are you four anyhow?" Amaya glanced at her new friends.

"I'm ten, Yuriko is nine, Kunoichi is eight, and Yukimura is nine too." Kanetsugu sat on the ground, beckoning them to sit down as well.

"I'm nine years old as well."

"Yukimura! It's time to ride home!" a boy about twelve years summoned him. Trailing the twelve year old was a man about Kenshin's height, and an elegant woman with light brown eyes.

"Gotta go, my Tousan, Kaasan, and Nobuyuki are ready to go home. Nice meeting you, Kari-chan. Hope we see each other again soon. Bye everyone." Yukimura trotted to his family.

"We need to meet our Tousan. See ya, Maya-chan and Kane-kun. Come on, Kuno-chan." Yuriko pulled her sister to her feet and bolting in another direction. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Amaya-chan, we need to go." Kenshin's voice roused her from slumbering. Her eyes shot agape open when she recognized the circumstance her and Kanetsugu were in. Her head was nestled in the crook of his neck. His head was settling on Amaya's, and his arm embraced her around the waist.

"Kanetsugu-kun, you come too." a brunette woman's gentle voice apprehended their unpleasant predicament.

Amaya flushed pure crimson and immersed her face deeper into Kanetsugu's chest, "K-K-Kanetsugu...You need to wake up." she murmured in his ear.

Kanetsugu's eyes fluttered open slowly, "K-Ka-Kaasan! T-Tousan! When did you arrive here? H-how long have you been there?" he vaulted into the air, dropping Amaya in the process.

"Long enough. We should head back to the palace. Coming Kenshin?" Kanetsugu's dad got on a gray horse with his wife.

"Yes, Hiromasa. However, what about our children?" Kenshin asked mounting his horse, a gray stallion with darker socks, mane, and chocolate brown eyes, Raiden.

"Kanetsugu and Amaya can ride on Ginarashi." Kanetsugu's mother, Mika, lead a horse. The filly was white with a lighter, almost white, wild gray mane, tail, and crystal blue eyes.

"She's so beautiful. Is she fast too?" Amaya stated, petting Ginarashi's muzzle.

"Would you like to find out?"

Sumi arranged Amaya and Kanetsugu on Ginarashi's back, then got on Raiden, with Kenshin.

Kanetsugu enveloped his arms around Amaya's waist, flushing as he did, "Amaya, have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Occasionally. My sister taught me how to before the..." she paused, looking away from Kanetsugu, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Amaya clutched Ginarashi's reins and kicked her sides. They quickly caught up to their parents and Amaya slowed to an amble, "That was dazzling, Ginarashi. You are fast." she rubbed the filly's neck, compelling Ginarashi to neigh in pure exalt.

"Ginarashi appears to like you. Maybe you should care for her. Others have a genuinely hard time maintaining her to remain soothed, like Raiden," Kenshin suggested, glancing at his daughter, "Consider it her your birthday present, Amaya-chan."

"Arigato, Tousan. Could I see Raiden?" Amaya stroked Ginarashi's mane.

"Sure, Amaya-chan. He's right here." Kenshin answered, going a little faster.

"Nani? Tousan, how come I don't have a horse?" Kanetsugu frowned, then gave his father the 'I-love-you-and-never-ask-you-for-anything-ever-again' look. Hiromasa sighed, then smiled gazing at Kenshin, who nodded in response.

"We're here. Amaya-chan, I'll take to you Ginarashi's stall, next to Raiden's stall. Kanetsugu, you can pick out a horse from the stables, if you wish. Consider it a 'thank you' token for delaying with time Amaya, while we got her some brand new apparels," Kenshin kissed Sumi on the lips, after helping her down.

Amaya and Kanetsugu recoiled away from each other, "Eeeewwww... Cooties!" they exclaimed at the same time.

The grown-up's chuckled at their children's genuine dispositions. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kanetsugu examined the horses in the stalls and Amaya lagged behind him. He discontinued at the stall right of Ginarashi. It was a gold yearling stallion with a dark brown mane, tail, socks, and dark brown eyes, "I want him. He's the one I want. Please."

"Very well. I should warn you. He's harder to control, like Ginarashi," Kenshin placed his hand on Kanetsugu's shoulder, "No one's named him yet."

"Hmmm..." Kanetsugu paused in deep thought, "I know! His name will be Kinkaze," the stallion snorted, pounding the ground with his hooves, "Presuming that was yes?" Kanetsugu stuck his hand in Kinkaze's stall and his yearling licked his hand. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Amaya rested in the shade under a Sakura tree, with Ginarashi settling next to her. She had on a white transparent sleevless kimono with a gold long-sleeved shirt and gold boots.

The clear blue sky had gray clouds in it, shifted by the wind. She ran a hand through her hair, which had grown to her mid-back, and laid there for a few more minutes.

"It'll supposedly rain." she rose and stretched her leg muscles, bending over in the process. Ginarashi had risen as well and went over to another horse.

"Lady Amaya." Amaya startled, pivoted around to see a fifteen year old leaning against different tree, her eyes wide.

"Lord Kanetsugu, w-when-"

"Did I get here? In enough time to see you stretch." Amaya blushed in response as he walked up to her.

Kanetsugu frowned down at her, "Are you OK , Lady Amaya? Do have a fever?" he put his lips to her forehead, making her redden more.

"Have you two sufficed your flirting game, yet?" two brunette teens appeared out air, the elder demanded.

"I wasn't flirting with Lady Amaya. Where do you come up with this nonsense?" Kanetsugu averted locking eyes with Amaya and flushed scarlet, "Anyways, Kunoichi, have you seen Yukimura?" Kanetsugu saw a dark brown horse galloping toward them, a fourteen year old on its back.

"Yukimura, you're here. Now we can go to the lake. Kunoichi can ride with Yukimura and-"

Yuriko interjected him, "I'll ride with Maya-chan right, Kane-kun?" Kanetsugu nodded meekly, catching the hidden theat.

The others grinned when they caught on, heading to the lake. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That's all this chapter.

Translations in the story are following:

Amaya-night rain

Sumi- elegant

Yuriko- lily

Ginarashi- sliver storm

Kinkaze- gold wind

Raiden- thunder god

Next chapter will have a battle and maybe new characters. Please R&R!


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